Riddle of the Minotaur
Riddle of the Minotaur was a computer game created by Edward Nygma while he was working for Competitron as a game designer. History and Robin.]] Riddle of the Minotaur was conceived and created by Nygma and most likely served as Competitron's big break in the gaming industry. However, Nygma's employer, Daniel Mockridge, did not look to ethics as Nygma did. Having tricked Nygma years ago into signing a Work-For-Hire contract, Mockridge became the sole copyright owner to the game, leaving Nygma, ironically the game's creator, with nothing. Nygma tried to sue Mockridge for a share of the profits, but since he had no legal claim to the game's rights, he lost the case. Later, he was terminated from Competitron. Perplexed, Nygma claimed how much of an asset he was, as he designed their hit game and his superior intellect is an asset. Undaunted, Mockridge retorted with a riddle "If you are so smart, why aren't you rich?" After this, the game became a huge success, bought by millions of fans, among them Dick Grayson, who would occasionally play it on the Batcomputer. Outside of the city, a life-sized version of the game was built in an amusement park, and was notorious for its high level of difficulty to win. However, the game would come back to haunt Mockridge in two years' time, as his own lust for money eventually drove the company into severe financial ruin and bankruptcy, as well as a vengeful Nygma hunting him down in revenge for cheating him. In a twist of irony, Nygma captured Mockridge and took him to the center of the life-sized maze, where he programmed the robotic Minotaur to kill him at 4:30 AM, additionally rigging the maze's accessories to make them life-threatening. Batman and Robin eventually saved Mockridge, though the Riddler temporarily fled the city. Gameplay The game consisted of controlling a sole gladiator through the maze, dodging obstacles and solving riddles while journeying to the maze's centre, where the player would meet the Minotaur's final riddle and beat the game. Known Riddles * What is the shortest distance between a point in Nome, Alaska, and a point in Miami, Florida? ** A: Zig-zag ** B: Straight line ** C: Curved line * Losers Ahead. This was followed by blades meant to hurt the player, referencing the phrase's British English pronunciation: Loses a head. * Which way to the eating place? This was written in Arabic, and the player was meant to choose between a door on the right or the left. The correct door was the right one, since in the Arab world, people eat with their right hand. * The Musical Puzzle. This consisted of three keys to one door, each one bearing a letter: A, C and D. Using A released three spinning blades, C opened the door, and D released two spinning blades. This was a reference to musical keys: the key of A has two sharps, C has none, and D had two. Enemies * Fire-breathing gryphons * The Hand of Fate, a flying hand that would take the player to a random spot in the maze after making a mistake. * The Minotaur, the final antagonist of the game. Solving his riddle would end the game. Trivia * Riddle of the Minotaur is made in a very similar vein to Sentries of the Last Cosmos, another video game which is plagiarized from its rightful owner and leads to a dispute in which Batman is forced to intervene, although in this case, the thief attempts to have the rightful creator murdered in order to silence him rather than the creator trying to kill the thief in revenge. Appearances and references * "If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?" Category:A to Z Category:Toys and games